Micrometer string tension device for violins and the like



E. W. HOYT July 9, 1935.

MICROMETER STRING TENSION DEVICE FOR VIOL INS AND THE LIKE Filed June 8,1934 j'rmifif'li ayi,

ATTORNEY WITNESS:

Patented July 9, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MICROMETER STRINGTENSION DEVICE FOR VIOLINS AND THE LIKE 3 Claims.

The object of the invention is to provide an attachment for mounting onthe neck of a musical instrument of the violin family to provide for afine adjustment of the strings following the usual 5 adjustment madewith the pegs, so that the pitch of the strings may be determined with anicety; to provide a device of this character which is applicable to theinstrument without any other attachment thereto than its connection withthe strings; and generally to provide an attachment of this characterwhich is of simple form, susceptible of cheap manufacture and of aconstruction that will make for its attachment without any particularskill on the part of the user.

With this object in view, the invention consists in a construction andcombination of parts of which a preferred embodiment is illustrated inthe accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the free end of the neck ofa violin in the region of the peg box, showing the invention applied inoperative position.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the structure of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the plane indicated by the line 3-3 ofFigure 1.

Designed for the nice adjustment of the strings I0, after the generalrough adjustment made with the pegs II, the device serves as amicrometer 30 adjustment to raise or lower the pitch of the strings, asdesired. For example, the best results come by setting the A string atstandard pitch, the D and G strings slightly sharp of the dead fifth,and E string slightly fiat of the 35 dead fifth. Such an adjustment ishighly difficult if not impossible when using the pegs alone. To thisend the invention provides for the mounting of a frog I2 on the neck Iabove the peg box M. This frog is made preferably of cellu- 40 loid, orany other suitable material than metal and is stepped as indicated at [5to provide seats for the milled nuts I6, the latter threadingly engagingthe shanks of screws I! which pass through body openings in the steppedportions of the frog and, adjacent their lower ends, are formed withslots l8, opening on their peripheries, so that the slotted ends may bein the form of hooks which engage the strings [0 between the bridge l9and the pegs ll.

The nuts 16 bearing upon the frog l2 retain it in position on theinstrument neck by reason of the pull exerted on the screws by thestrings l0 and after adjustment of the strings with the pegs, the fineadjustment, or tempered tuning 5 of the instrument, is effected byadjusting the nut I6 for the screw of each string, to raise or lower thepitch of the latter, as desired.

The use of the device provides for easily and effectively maintainingthe tuning of the instrument without the frequent use of the tuningpegs, thus providing for a longer wear of the instrument strings as wellas easy tuning by students and children, etc., after the rough tuning bythe performer.

The invention having been described, what is claimed as new and usefulis:

1. In combination with a stringed musical instrument having a peg box, afrog spanning the peg box on the open side and seated on the upper edgesthereof, a string tensioning member extending through the frog andadjustably mounted therein, the said member engaging a string to applytension thereto and at the same time retain the frog in position on thebox.

2. In combination with a stringed musical instrument having a peg box, afrog seated on the peg box, screws extending through the frog andengaging the strings to apply a tension thereto adjacent the pegs, and amicrometer adjustment on said screws, the frog being stepped and thescrews extending through the frog in said steps, and nuts threadinglyengaged with the screws and bearing upon the steps of the frog. 35

3. In combination with a stringed musical instrument having a peg box, afrog seated on the peg box, screws extending through the frog andengaging the strings to apply a tension thereto adjacent the pegs, and amicrometer adjustment on said screws, the frog being stepped and thescrews extending through the frog in said steps, and nuts threadinglyengaged with the screws and bearing upon the steps of the frog, thoseends of the screws remote from the nuts being formed with laterallyopening slots in which the strings seat.

ERNEST WM. HOYT.

